Coupling for traction-engines.



v :lilllll III-,L llllllll PATENTBD FEB. 19, 1907.

R. JOHNSON, SB.

GOUPLING FOR TRAGTION ENGINES.

APPLIoATIoN FILED APR.25,1906.

, lllllllllllll,

RICHARD JOHNSON, ISR., OF.FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

COUPLING FOR TRACTION-ENGIINES.v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application led April 25,1906. Serial No. 318.614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD JOHNSON, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Freeport, in the county of Ste henson and State of Illinois, have invente a new and useful Coupling for Traction-Engines, of which the followin is a specification.-

The invention re ates to improvements in cou lings for traction-engines.

he object of the present invention is to improve the construction of traction-engines and to provide a simple, strong, and eiiicient couplin adapted to be readily applied to the dra t-bar of a traction-engine and capable of coupling automatically and of automatically releasing the tongue of a separator or other machine when the coupling is unf locked.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling for traction-engines adapted to permit a free lateral pivotal movement of the jaws to prevent them from being strained while turning the traction-engine and a separator and also when traveling over uneven ground.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit' or sacriiicing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a traction-engine coupling constructed in accordance with this invention, the pivoted jaws being open. Fig. 2 is a 1ongitudinal sectional view of the same, the jaws being 'closed and engaging a loop or clevis. Flg. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, the up er plate of the draw-head bein removed. ig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. j

Like numeralsv of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawin s. 1 and 2 designate u per and lower plates of a ydraw-head, whic is arranged at the outer end of the draw-bar 3 of a traction-engine, and the said plates 1 and 2, which are secured by bolts 4 to the draw-bar 3, may, if desired, be rigidly connected with the same in any other desired manner. The upper and lower lates, which form the top and bottom of t draw-head, are spaced apart by the draw-bar and extend forwardlytherefrom in a direction longitudinally of the Ving reversely-arranged slots 9 and 10. The

tapering projecting portions 7 and 8 have inner beveled or angularl -dis osed edges, which are slightly rounded an which form guiding edges for directing a clevis or couping member 11 into engagement with t e cou ling. The slots 9 andzlO are substantial y dia onally arranged and diverge outward, an their portions overla when the jaws are closed and form a circ ar opening to receive the outer end 12 of the loop or clevis 11. The loop or clevis is designed to be carried by the tongue of a separator or other machine, and the front end 12 is preferably in the form of a cou ling-pin.

The ivot of the jaws is ocated at an intermedlate point between the ends of the same, and preferably consists of a sleeve 13 and a bolt 14. The sleeve is rovided at its upper end with an annular ange or collar 15, which engages the upper face of the top plate 1, and the lower face of the bottom plate 2 is engaged by a disk 16, forming a ower head for the pivot, and secured to the sleeve by a bolt. The pivot permits the jaws to swing freely in a horizontal direction. The jaws are adapted to swing simultaneously when coupling, and they are also capable of swinging in the opposite direction in their o ening and closing movements.

The jaws are locked in their closed position by means of a pivoted spring-actuated catch 17, mounted on a transverse bolt or pivot 18 and arranged to operate in longitudinal slots 19 and 20 of the upper and lower jaws. The catch, which is located in rear of the pivot, consists of a lower engaging portion or head and an upwardly-extending arm 21, which. is designed to be connected with suitable operating mechanism for enabling the jaws to be unlocked by the engineer. The pivot pin or bolt 18 extends through the rear end of the upper jaw, which is provided with a transverse s ot or opening 22 for the reception of a pair of coiled springs 23. The springs, which IIO l ed to be turned'free are dis osed on the pivot pin or bolt 1 8are locate at oppositesides ofthe. catch`. and their inner ends arey secured' to` the' same'. The outer ends of the springs .engage the.u .p per jaw. The springs arefa'dapte'dto malnf tain the catch in en agement with the lowerv jaw, and they are a so adapted toswing the catch downward automatically.` into engages ment with the lower jaw when the longitu' dinal slots vare brought inalinement. When the catch is swung. upwardly outtof engagement withthe lower: l] aw, the latter, is adapt-.-

forwardly-diverging*diagonal 'arrangement of the slots of the front ends of the jaws will en;y able the latter tobereadily` opened by\ tlie draft when the ycatch isswung. out.. of: engager mentwithl the rear endofiv thel lowerf j aw.' The Vdia onal arrangement'` of.E theirontslots.` also lena 1es-the xjawsto -befreadilyclosed'byf the coupling loep or clevis, whereby. the l op@ eration of coupling-is `efiected Iautomatically. It'isonly necessary to 5holdlthe tongue. of the.

separator in-line withfthecou ling; and the pressure on the jaws incident ltofthe. coups4 ingcoming in contact' with ,the loop. or: clevis. willoperate-to closethe saidljawsf The upper! late off the drawv-headliszpr vided with a; orwardlystapered' opening 2.4,. through -which extends the upper' portion of. the catch and: which pcnnitsthecatchto; movev laterally with'the jaws. 'Illiis free lateral-swinging motion of: tlie'jawss enables* a' traction+engine toiturnwithca varatorl or.I other machine 4without straining the coupling.l

Having rthus fully. described 'my invention; what I! claim as-new, anddesiretofsecure vby Letters Patent; is-

1. In a carecoupling; the combination oflax draw-head; .a pair' of= j awe pivotally.mounted in the draw-head. andf'movable simultane ously and independently, onefjawbeing'an" ranged. above the other; andlocliing'means carried bythe upper jaw for engagngf the lower jaw, whereby the jaws` are'lockedin; their closed position, saidl locking means7 when released; permittin :both 1j aws-tov open:

2. In a car-coupling; t e combination of a; draw-head, a pairl of jawspivotally mountedE in the draw-heady and movable' simultaneously and independently, onefjawfbeing; ar-A ran edabove the othenzand: ai springffactuate catch mountedonithe-uppcr jaw andfazrry ranged to engage the lower jawifor'lookingr the jaws in theirv closediposition, said icatch,. when released 5 permittingsboth'j awsftto lopen.

3. In a couplin 1 the combination of ai draw-head provideii' ing, a pair ofl jaws pivotally mountedrin the'.`l

draw-head, anda catchmountedfonroneof: Y

y" on'itspivot7 andfy the the. draw-head,y whereby the jaws are per k65 j mitted"to swing laterally, when locked.

4. In a coupling, the combination of a pair ofpivoted jaws provided with diverging slots 'wlchfoverlap and form an opening when the jaws are closed, said slots forming angularly- 7o disposed faces to enable the jaws to be moved laterally by a coupling member, and means for; loeliingthe jaws-in their cldsed posi-tion.

5. In a: coupling;. the combination of adraw-headj upper andllower jaws pivotally mounted in the drawhead.and movable laterally andv provided withy longitudinal slots,` the upperjaw being: also provided with a transverse opening, a' pivot' mounted onthe 'upperfjaw and extending alongv the trans- 8c versejop-ening,- a catch operatingin the longitudinalislotsandimountedon the pivot, and

opposite spring+eoils alsoI mounted on the pivotI and i connected with the' catch.

6; In a coupli j draw-headj, a vertical. pivoty carried by the draws-head, a. pair ofhorizontally-movable jaws consisting of flatplates arranged one upon the other'and-having'openings torelcfeive the said pivot, and'v provided with lon- 9o gitudinalslotsl extending along the `median'.l .line'of-'thejawa a lockingidevice carried by .one'of the awsandoperating'in the slots, said: awe eing movable horizontally to 4carry the slots into and outvof alinernent.

erpartsof i 7,.. In,l a: coupling, the draw-head ,1 in combinationfwith the upper andilower: overlap 'ping awspivoted vin 'the vdrawfhead, and -provide reversely arranged outwardlydivergingslots, roo fWhichmombine when'the jaws are closed, to

`at their outer ends with diagonally and:

formla circular opening to receive the coupling+pin. v

8'. Inra .car-coupling; .the combination'of. a

drawhead;,a=pair1oi jaws pivotally mounted 105 atanintermediate point-of their length in the draw-head, one of the jaws being arrangedv above lthe other, meansprovidedat the outer exposed lends of the rj awsfor. connection with a couplingepinrand'lockingmeans mountedl I'Io onthe upperfjaw andengagin the lowerljaw inirear of the pivotal point' or holdingthe jaws in` their closed: position; said locking' means-when released, permitting both of. the jaws to open.

Intestimony. that I claim 1theforegoing-as my own I have hereto afiixedfmy signature inthe presence oftwo witnesses- Y RICHARD JOHNSON, SR.` Witnesses:

A. J. CL'ARrrr, FRED Kom;

.,. the combination of a`r 

